Back To The Future Part II

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Thomas F. Wilson

Written by: Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Released in: 1989

This film had quite a lot to live up to. Only arguably one of the greatest films of all time. And how does it do? An admirable effort. That it doesn’t reach the heights of the first film hardly qualifies it for a complete disaster. In fact it is a highly entertaining film that enriches the characters we know and sends them through more carefully orchestrated hijnks and adventures.

The problem is it might be too many adventures. The fact is there is a need for too much exposition throughout to make sure everyone can follow exactly what is going on when the future is altered, than the past is altered making the present altered, so our duo have to go re-fix the same past they fixed originally while not bumping into their other selves while doing so.

Confused? It’s not as bad as it sounds, but the highly convoluted plot does act as a detriment.

But amazingly enough I dug the plot more than the more streamlined Third Part. In many conversations I’ve had with people about these films, II is consistently rated behind III (with both behind part I), but I disagree. I think that Part II has a freneticism that I found endearing.

The actors are generally the same (insert Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer and Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly) and the characters don’t grow a whole lot but they really don’t need to. This is all about the adventure and fixing the wrongs.

It does allow us to explore various Hill Valleys. The future, the past, the apocalyptic present before sending us in the distant past for the beginning of part III.

Unfortunately the sense of detail from the first are not quite AS perfect for the future or apocalyptic present. It just seems fake whereas 1955 seemed genuine.

Having the last quarter of the film take place at the same time as the end of Part I was a stroke of genius. Some called it lazy but I loved seeing the same scenes again from different view points or seeing other things happening. It worked quite well for me.

Overall Back to the Future Part II is nowhere near the complete movie that Part I is, but it is still a fun adventure ride that lets you relive Part I and see likable characters continue their adventures.

B